You know the summer sun can give you cancer (and the wrong sunscreen can kill marine life). Over-chlorinated swimming pools can give you asthma. What’s next on the summer hit list?

Flip-flops.

That’s right. Those noisy little sandals — once only seen in slimy camp showers but now creeping into casual Friday workplaces across the nation — turn out to be made of nasty PVC.

This vinyl is chock full of phthalates, a distressingly common chemical compound that’s been linked to developmental and reproductive problems in children. Plus, manufacturing PVC produces dioxins, which causes cancer.

Kind of makes you want to wear socks, huh?

When you’re looking for thongs that won’t out-gas evil chemicals, choose materials like rubber, EVA, and polyurethane. While not perfect, these components are still less damaging than PVC is to the environment and to you. ¹

Learn more:

• Lime’s Guide to Buying Shoes
• Read more about the environmental impact of your shoes on the planet at Sustainablog
• Learn more about vegan footwear at Great Green Shoes

We have put together a few places you can purchase eco-friendlier flip flops:

• Find Earth Shoes, Patagonia Shoes, Clark Shoes and many, many other vegan and earth-friendly sandals, flip-flops, slippers, and more at Planet Shoes
• Downbound offers organic hemp thong sandals, open toed sandals, slippers, & children’s sandals
• Sierra Trading Post offers Patagonia, Teva, and Birkenstock sandals made with EVA vinyl
• Gaiam offers Vegan Flexisole Earth Shoes, Dharma Earth Shoes, Yoga slip-ons, Green Toe Sandals, Hemp Crisscross Slippers and more!
• Shoes.com is the Exclusive home of Dr. Scholl’s Eco Friendly Sandals

Teva Old Town thong sandals are great suede covered thongs for short hikes, shopping or just kicking around your Old Town, made with EVA vinyl. EVA is a chlorine-free substitute for PVC.

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Related items:

• Footwear
• Eco-Misc
• Vegan Products
• Go Vegan!
• Eco-Shopping Directory
• Hemp Products